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It’s been quite a week, hasn’t it? With Hurricane Sandy still fresh in our minds and recovery crews and volunteers feverishly at work, current events remind us of the importance of community. I’m continually inspired by the passion AT&T employees bring to efforts like these.

That’s why I’m humbled to share that AT&T has earned the No. 3 spot in The Civic 50, an inaugural list of America’s most community-minded companies. Sponsored by the National Conference on Citizenship, Points of Light, and Bloomberg, LP, the survey ranked S&P 500 companies committed to using their time, talent, and resources to empower the communities they serve.

TheCivic 50 – featured in this week’s edition of Bloomberg Businessweek – measures how a corporation's policies, activities, and employees affect the civic and social fabric of a community. With the help of our customers, AT&T is making measurable impacts through initiatives like It Can Wait by promoting responsible use of our technology, and spreading the message that no text is worth dying for. Aspire Mentoring Academy is tackling the high school dropout crisis with the goal of our employees providing 1 million hours of mentoring. And Do One Thing reminds all of our employees to think about the little things we can each do to foster more sustainable communities.

Along the way, AT&T employees and retirees poured their hearts into more than 6 million volunteer hours last year alone, supporting more than 18,000 worthy organizations. These investments in time and money not only strengthen our communities, but they bolster our company as well. They are the reason we can be among the first to respond when disasters like Hurricane Sandy strike.

We’re looking forward to a full – and fulfilling – 2013. But it’s worth taking a moment to say thank you – to Civic 50 organizers for the incredible recognition, to our customers who power our technology, and to our committed employees, 241,000 strong, who are truly deserving of this honor. THANK YOU.